BANGALORE - The port project at Gwadar in Pakistan&#39;s restive Balochistan province appears to be in trouble. Baloch insurgents battling Islamabad are opposed to the project and have been attacking people working on it. Besides, some differences appear to have cropped up between the Pakistan government and the project&#39;s main funder - China - over financial aspects of the project.

Gwadar is on Pakistan&#39;s Arabian Sea coast, just 72 kilometers from Iran. It is near the mouth of the Persian Gulf and is 400km from the Strait of Hormuz. The Pakistani government identified

Gwadar as a port site way back in the 1960s, but it was only in 2001-02 that concrete steps on the proposal were taken.

It was the arrival of US troops in Afghanistan - literally at China&#39;s doorstep - in the autumn of 2001 that spurred Beijing into action. China agreed to participate in funding, construction and development of a deepsea port and naval base in Gwadar and in March 2002 Chinese premier Wu Bangguo laid the foundation for the port. Its engineers are engaged in the port&#39;s design and construction.

China insists its interest in Gwadar is purely commercial. No doubt it is hoping that the port will transform the economy of its landlocked Xinjiang province.

However, Gwadar port has a far-larger significance in China&#39;s scheme of things. It is said to be the western-most pearl in China&#39;s "string of pearls" strategy (this is a strategy that envisages building strategic relations with several countries along sea lanes from the Middle East to the South China Sea to protect China&#39;s energy interests and other security objectives), the other "pearls" being naval facilities in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and the South China Sea. [1]

China&#39;s interest in the Gwadar project stems from the port&#39;s proximity to the Strait of Hormuz. A base at Gwadar enables China to secure the flow of its oil - 60% of its energy supplies come from the Middle East - through the strait. More important, Gwadar is said to be a "listening post" for the Chinese, one that will enable Beijing to monitor movement of US and Indian ships in the region.

Pakistan is eyeing huge economic and strategic gains, with Gwadar poised to become a key shipping hub at the mouth of a strategic waterway. A port at Gwadar provides Pakistan with strategic depth vis-a-vis India. Gwadar is 725km to the west of Karachi port, making it that much less vulnerable than Karachi to an Indian naval blockade.

Not surprisingly, the construction of Gwadar port and Sino-Pakistan cooperation in the project are causing concern for India, the United States and Iran. The Chinese presence in the Arabian Sea heightens India&#39;s feeling of encirclement by China. Iran fears that the development of Gwadar port will undermine the value of its own ports as outlets to Central Asia&#39;s exports.

As for the US, it has been uncomfortable with Chinese presence at the mouth of a key waterway. And now in the run-up to a possible war with Iran, Washington appears to be eyeing Gwadar&#39;s naval facilities all the more. It appears that the US is pressuring Pakistan to reduce Chinese involvement in the project and to involve Washington instead.

The New Delhi-based online Public Affairs Magazine has reported that the US "could be [pressuring] Pakistan to outprice the Chinese from Gwadar to take over the entire facility". Citing diplomats, the report said: "Pakistan has now raised the cost of Chinese participation to US&#036;3 billion in addition to the &#036;1.5 billion yearly payment, which China has refused, saying it is steep, and in breach of the terms of the contract. China has said that it had already agreed to offset construction costs by giving Pakistan four frigates, but Pakistan is unmoved, and offered to return all the Chinese investment, if they would have it that way."

Dismissing such reports as "wishful thinking on the part of India", a Pakistani government official told Asia Times Online that the Gwadar project was "very much on track" and that "Sino-Pakistan cooperation in the venture remains strong".

But even if the reported differences between China and Pakistan in the Gwadar project were indeed "wishful thinking on the part of India", the project is under fire from Baloch insurgents.

Balochis are not opposed to the Gwadar port project or other megaprojects per se. What they are opposed to is the way these projects have been conceived and implemented. They resent the fact Balochis have been excluded from the benefits of these projects and that "outsiders" have grown rich by exploiting Baloch resources. Balochistan&#39;s Sui gas reserves, for instance, meet 38% of Pakistan&#39;s energy needs, but only 6% of Balochistan&#39;s 6 million people have access to it, and the royalties Balochistan receives for its gas are very low, especially when compared with what other provinces receive.

Likewise, the Gwadar project does not seem to be transforming Baloch lives for the better. Baloch nationalists see Gwadar as "a non-Baloch project", one that has been conceived and implemented without provincial approval or participation, in which "outsiders" have gained the most. They point out that land in Gwadar is being sold at throwaway prices to non-Baloch civil-military elites.

There is concern, too, that the Gwadar project would leave Balochis a minority in their homeland. As the Baloch leader, the Khan of Kalat, pointed out in an interview to the Pakistani daily Dawn, the entire project would need at least a million people, and with Gwadar being a town of 60,000, people from "Karachi, mostly Urdu-speaking", would be brought in.

Not surprisingly, then, the Gwadar project has been repeatedly targeted by Baloch insurgent groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the Baloch Liberation Front and the Baloch People&#39;s Liberation Army. Insurgents have struck repeatedly with bombs and rocket attacks. In 2004 for instance, Gwadar airport was the target of rocket attacks.

Several of the insurgent attacks in Gwadar have targeted Chinese working on this project. About 500 Chinese engineers are employed in Gwadar. On May 3, 2004, three Chinese engineers were killed and nine others injured in a bomb blast by the BLA. On May 14 last year, four bombs went off in Gwadar. Then in October, several Chinese engineers had a narrow escape when the vehicle in which they were traveling missed a landmine. The following month, insurgents launched a rocket attack on a Chinese construction company in the Tallar area of Gwadar district. The Chinese engineers and other staff escaped unhurt but several vehicles were damaged.

In total, according to official data, there were 187 bomb blasts, 275 rocket attacks, eight attacks on gas pipelines, 36 attacks on electricity-transmission lines and 19 explosions on railway lines in 2005. At least 182 civilians and 26 security force personnel died in the province during 2005.

An interesting aspect about Baloch nationalist insurgents, who are by and large secular, and the religious militants is that while both view China as an enemy, their opposition to Chinese involvement in the Gwadar project differs. Tarique Niazi, a specialist on resource-based conflict, said: "Baloch nationalists, for instance, are opposed to the Chinese government for advancing its strategic goals at the expense of their freedom and autonomy. But several religiously inspired groups are opposed to the Chinese government for its putative persecution of the Uighur Muslim minority in the autonomous region of Xinjiang."

The kidnapping of two Chinese engineers in October 2004 by members of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is said to have been a response to Pakistan&#39;s killing of ETIM chief Hasan Mahsum, to whom it had provided shelter in South Waziristan, on Beijing&#39;s request.

While India, Iran and the US might be wary of the Sino-Pakistan cooperation in Gwadar, internal opposition to the bonding seems far greater, as indicated by the ferocity and frequency of attacks on the Gwadar project and Chinese employees there.

With the Baloch insurgency growing in intensity and the Pakistani government&#39;s military approach to the problem only fueling Baloch resentment and the insurgency further, it does seem that even if the Gwadar port project is, as officials claim, "on track", it will be near impossible to realize its full potential.

Originally posted by Ahsan_R@Jan 21 2006, 06:41 PMWhats the point of using an Indian source? You can&#39;t expect them to say anything positive about the Project since most of the indian media is pretty much pro-indian.

The source is probably not ok, but there is some good information in there, such as the Strings of Pearl Strategy.

Regarding the balochis not getting benefits, well the author should really try to understand who is giong to get benefits when everything will be setup. It will be the locals who would be getting job, and the economy will be higher than ever. The more money comes from the project, the money will then be used for the area around it, to make it even more impressing, viable to be used for extensive trade.

Originally posted by Ahsan_R@Jan 22 2006, 12:41 AMWhats the point of using an Indian source? You can&#39;t expect them to say anything positive about the Project since most of the indian media is pretty much pro-indian.

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Sir,
There might be some truth in this news, even its coming from a unfriendly neighbbor.
China seems to be uncomfortable about the slow process and we&#39;re probably going to mis the june 2006 window.
But its a minor upset, Sino-Pak relationship can handle bigger hurdles.

China is making up the road links to connect Gawadar with itself. The project will be funded by itself. What do you guys think? Nice? I think the rail way link would also be more beneficial and will be much faster.

China and Pakistan increase road links
URUMQI, China, March 27 (UPI) -- In an effort to increase Central Asian access to the sea this year China and Pakistan will open four new passenger and cargo road links.

An agreement providing for the new roads was signed between the transport ministries of the two countries in Urumqi, capital of northwestern China&#39;s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Kashar World news agency reported on March 23 that two cargo transportation roads are scheduled to open on May 1. The two routes run from Kashi in southern Xinjiang to the Pakistani ports of Karachi, Qasim and Gwadar. China has already invested &#036;200 million in upgrading Gwadar&#39;s infrastructure.

The two passenger highways, scheduled for opening on June 1, run from Kashi, Xinjiang to Gilgit in northern Pakistan, and from Xinjiang&#39;s Taxkorgan to Pakistan&#39;s Khunjerab Pass in Sust, between the Karakorum and Pamir mountain ranges.

The opening of the new roadways will bring the total number of road links between Pakistan and China to eight. The first road link between Pakistan and China, the Karkorum highway, was completed in 1978 after about 20 years of work. Several hundred Pakistanis and Chinese workers were killed during its construction. The route followed one of the many paths of the ancient Silk Road and runs from Kashgar in western China to Havelian in Pakistan&#39;s Abbottabad district.

that article is another idiotic attempt by a fustrated indian named sudhra ram chacha rand to weave a web of deciet and lies to undermine the SinoPak alliance and eternal Friendship and goodwill. The Gwadar Port is going to be a success even if it means throwing out every RAW trained baloch terrorist out of Pakistan and bombing each and every indian(RAW) "consulate" in afghanistan.

Expect more such moronic "articles" written by jealousy ridden hindians once the Port is inagurated in the coming month.

Sino-Pak Gwadar project is well on track and as a matter of fact, the opening ceremony will be held tomorrow.

Work is now being done to enhance a complete network providing more roadlinks between the two countries;

China, Pakistan to open four new road links

URUMQI, March 23 (Xinhua) -- China and Pakistan will open four new passenger and cargo road links in the first half of the year.

Two of the four roads are for cargo transportation and the other two are for passengers and they will be opened on May 1 and June 1 respectively, according to an agreement signed Wednesday between the transport ministries of the two countries in Urumqi, capital of northwestern China&#39;s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The two cargo routes run from Kashi in southern Xinjiang to Pakistan&#39;s ports of Karachi, Qasim and Gwadar. The passenger linesare from Kashi and Taxkorgan, also in southern Xinjiang, to Pakistan&#39;s northern Gilgit and Sost Pass respectively.

The two transport ministries also agreed to have two regular meetings each year, held in Pakistan and China, to exchange information.

The number of road links between Pakistan and China will rise to eight.

Expect more such moronic "articles" written by jealousy ridden hindians once the Port is inagurated in the coming month.

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There is no jealousy involved, but a play of geopilitical interest games.
Many fail to under stand certain issues, that had the Sui gas reserves been used for development of the people of the province then Pakistan would&#39;nt have had this problem.

The opening of the port and use of the highway/ expressway only offers more targets to the Balochi insurgents. The only solution to this problem is economic and political.

Originally posted by WebMaster@Jan 22 2006, 06:10 AMThe source is probably not ok, but there is some good information in there, such as the Strings of Pearl Strategy.

Regarding the balochis not getting benefits, well the author should really try to understand who is giong to get benefits when everything will be setup. It will be the locals who would be getting job, and the economy will be higher than ever. The more money comes from the project, the money will then be used for the area around it, to make it even more impressing, viable to be used for extensive trade.

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The locals have been complaining about huge amount of outsiders settling in gwadar area and are accused to be of being the real beneficiaries.

Well even though this is understood as all developmental projects will see people from other parts coming and settling there, the GOP needs to look into this matter in a more serious way

Baluchistan is a very backward state imspite of being rich in gas.The locals would be fearing that as what happened with their gas, the gwadar port also will be eaten by outsiders and they left with nothing.

Originally posted by Nasir@Mar 28 2006, 10:35 AMChina is making up the road links to connect Gawadar with itself. The project will be funded by itself. What do you guys think? Nice? I think the rail way link would also be more beneficial and will be much faster.

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Why is China so benevolent to you guys. What dire help did Pakistan provide to China that China is paying back u guys in kind.

If as Neo says the entire road ( and rail?) is funded by China then China wud have definitly "bought" some commitment from GOP over gwadar use.

Sou really need to think how the money earned is going to be shared.If China is spending all or majorty of the money in the development of the project and all or majority of the money wud go to CHina itself.

So what wud GO and baluchis gain??? other than a few PLAn ships anchored there,which will only invite more eyes from USN and IN and IrN.

Originally posted by Prashant@Apr 1 2006, 01:02 AMWhy is China so benevolent to you guys. What dire help did Pakistan provide to China that China is paying back u guys in kind.

If as Neo says the entire road ( and rail?) is funded by China then China wud have definitly "bought" some commitment from GOP over gwadar use.

Sou really need to think how the money earned is going to be shared.If China is spending all or majorty of the money in the development of the project and all or majority of the money wud go to CHina itself.
So what wud GO and baluchis gain??? other than a few PLAn ships anchored there,which will only invite more eyes from USN and IN and IrN.

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China wants to bask in the warm waters of the Arabian Sea and it could import goods using Gwadar and only pay some transit fee to Pakistan. The goods imported there would get to China&#39;s Xinjiang province for example faster, IMHO.

China&#39;s interests force it to undertake more and more investment at Gwadar and now these rail/road links.

Originally posted by Sid@Apr 2 2006, 06:51 AMChina wants to bask in the warm waters of the Arabian Sea and it could import goods using Gwadar and only pay some transit fee to Pakistan. The goods imported there would get to China&#39;s Xinjiang province for example faster, IMHO.

China&#39;s interests force it to undertake more and more investment at Gwadar and now these rail/road links.

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If China is spending so much of money on port construction and also on the road and rail link, then gwadar will be a chineese special economic zone and pakistan wud end up getting cheap transit fees.

And this means that baluchis are right in their resentment of Gwadar construction as they will end up being second ring citizens inntheir own lands.They arent educated or skilled to take up any job which will be offered by the port development.Asa result they will end up getting the cheap penny jobs which wont bring any great economic developement as what GOP claims.